Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol yesterday said that he is slated to join the Liberal Party.

Mirasol, who is the official candidate of the United Negros Alliance for the vacant 5th district congressional seat in the June 2 special elections, also said that he was assured of support by the LP, through its provincial chairman, Rep. Alfredo Benitez.

Mirasol was the first mayor of Negros Occidental in 2010 to openly support the presidential bid of President Benigno Aquino III, although he belongs to the Nationalist Peoples Coalition-United Negros Alliance party.

So far, only Negros Occidental Board Member Emilio Yulo and his uncle, Mirasol, have confirmed their intentions to run for the 5th district congressional seat.

Yulo has said that he is not backing out from the race and doused speculations that he is giving in to his uncle, Mirasol, after negotiations.

In a recent press conference, said Mirasol is now “on full steam ahead mode.”

Setting aside the issue of the consensus between him and Yulo, bogged down, Mirasol said he also has other things to attend to, especially the concerns of the people in the 5th district.

The Commission on Election set the filing of certificates of candidacy for the special election on May 13 to 14.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal has called on the Comelec to scrap the scheduled special elections on June 2, by asking the House of Representatives to reconsider its resolution hold the special polls, in view of the closeness of the activities for 2013 polls.

The filing of COCs for candidates for the May 2013 elections has been scheduled by Comelec on October 1 to 5 this year.

While the Comelec has said that it will hold the special elections on June 2, it has not yet issued a resolution notifying the public about it, Macalintal said.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting also dismissed the special elections as a “waste of money”, and said it sees no public good or service, since the 2013 election is less than a year away.

Congress had declared vacant the 5th district congressional seat, following the death of Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo.

Mirasol also confirmed that he is scheduled to meet today with former Assemblyman Antonio Gatuslao, whose sister and nephew, Himamaylan City Vice-Mayor Carmenia Bascon and Mayor Agustin Ernesto Bascon, respectively, have already expressed their support to Yulo.

Gatuslao was defeated by his nephew in the Himamaylan mayoral race during the 2010 elections.

Mirasol got the support of Governor Alfredo Maranon and four of the five mayors in the 5th district, including Hinigaran Mayor Hermilo Aguilar, Isabela Mayor Francis Malabor, La Castellana Mayor Alberto Nicor and Moises Padilla Mayor Francisco Nazareno.* GPB

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